Developing a complex game requires a lot of work, and state machines offer an effective way to help simplify the process. By using state machines, you can break down complex tasks such as character movement and dialog into separate, distinct states that can easily be managed and tracked. This approach creates a visual system of organization that is both easy to understand and easy to maintain.
State machines are especially helpful when creating large-scale games with many different components. The states can be used to identify how different elements interact and how certain actions trigger effects within the game. This makes it much easier to keep track of the relationships between different elements, and find areas where something may not be behaving as expected.
State machines also enable designers to quickly and easily adjust individual elements of the game, as each state is separate and independent of the others. This offers much more flexibility than having to make changes across the entire codebase.
Using state machines in game development can dramatically reduce complexity and help ensure a smoother development process. Understanding how to properly implement them into your project is key to taking advantage of their full potential.